Road traffic injuries to foreigners in the People's Republic of China, 2000-2008

Introduction: China's rapid motorization has resulted in significant challenges in road safety. Method: Using official national statistics, this study examines road traffic injuries (RTIs) experienced by foreigners in China. The number of foreigners entering China has increased 2.4 times over the study period, from 10.16 million in 2000 to 24.33 million in 2008. Results: From 2000- 2008, the number of road traffic fatalities among foreigners similarly increased 2.5 fold, including 49 fatalities reported in 2008. Nonfatal RTIs during this same time frame increased by a magnitude of 1.8 (126 nonfatal injuries in 2000 to 223 in 2008). Conclusions: This study suggests that the total number of foreigners working or visiting China each year who suffer fatal and nonfatal road traffic injuries is relatively low. Impact on Industry: This study provided evidence suggesting that foreigners visiting or working in China face a relatively low risk of road traffic injuries.     

Status and future tasks of coal mining safety in China

In general, contexts of coal mining safety involve technology, administration and socioeconomic environment as well. This paper presents statistical analysis of China coal mine accidents in recent years and analyzes the reasons causing coal mining high risk from technical and socioeconomic viewpoints. Social and economic reform has been unleashing social, economical factors that are driving a fundamental transformation of new workplace safety problems and making China coal mining safety take on Chinese features. Compared with major state-owned and local state-owned coalmines, township and village coalmines are most dangerous coal mines with highest occupational risks. The incidence and death toll of ceiling accidents are higher than those of accidents such as gas, machinery, electricity, transportation, flood, and fire. New organizational risks appeared with rapid development of state-owned coal mines’ reorganization. Low skilled labors restrict both technical renovation and safety management. The Government has adopted a systematic arrangement to improve coal mining safety such as closing the township and village coalmines that cannot meet the standard of safety, reinforcing the supervision over coal mining safety, strengthening technological renovation and enhancing work safety input.     

Logging injuries for a 10-year period in Jilin Province of the People's Republic of China

PROBLEM: Logging continues to be a major source of injuries in northeast China. This paper describes logging-related injuries in the Jilin Province of the People's Republic of China. METHODS: Logging fatalities and nonfatal injuries were summarized from 1981 to 1990 in Jilin. Injury data from 1991 for the entire forestry sector in China were also analyzed. RESULTS: Fatalities were mainly from of head injuries and were caused by being struck by an object. Nonfatal injuries were most often to the lower extremities and the head and were normally caused by being struck by an object or a fall or slip. The majority of both fatal and nonfatal logging injuries occurred to workers with less than 1 year of employment and those under 35 years old. Most injuries occurred November through March in Jilin. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: Patterns of logging injury in Jilin of China were similar, but not identical, to those described in other studies of logging injuries worldwide. Methods found to be effective in reducing logging-related injuries in other parts of the world might be used in China to reduce the injuries associated with logging.     

Structural equation modelling of lower back pain due to whole-body vibration exposure in the construction industry

Whole-body vibration (WBV) exposure is a health hazard among workers, causing lower back pain (LBP) in the construction industry. This study examines key factors affecting LBP due to WBV exposure using exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modelling. The results confirm five key factors (equipment, job related, organizational, personal, social context) with their 17 associated items. The organizational factor is found the most important, as it influences the other four factors. The results also show that appropriate seat type, specific training programme, job rotation, workers’ satisfaction and workers’ physical condition are crucial in reducing LBP due to WBV exposure. Moreover, provision of new machines without proper training and good working condition might not help reduce LBP due to WBV exposure. The results help the construction companies to better understand key factors affecting LBP due to WBV exposure, and to plan for a better health improvement programme.     

日本职业卫生管理及对中国的启示

依据中日合作项目《加强中国国家安全生产科学技术能力计划》成果,系统介绍了日本职业卫生监管机构、法规、职业病确定、作业环境管理等。同时,结合中国职业卫生管理体制尚未完全理顺、法规较滞后、专业人才不足、企业基础资料不全和自主管理体制不健全等现状,提出了进一步明确职业卫生管理体制、完善职业卫生法规、建立职业卫生统计制度、强化企业自主管理能力等建立健全中国职业卫生管理的对策和建议。本文对完善中国职业卫生管理具有重要的参考意义。     

Prevalence of drink-driving among adults in China: A nationally representative survey in 2010

Objective: We examined the prevalence of and characteristics associated with drink-driving in China. We compared this study's drink-driving findings with those from the United States to explore how effective traffic safety interventions from Western cultures might be adapted for use in China.

Methods: Data from the 2010 China Chronic Disease and Risk Factor Survey were analyzed to describe the prevalence and characteristics associated with drink-driving in China.

Results: Overall, 1.5% of Chinese adults reported drink-driving in the past 30 days—3% of males and 0.1% of females. However, among males who had driven a vehicle in the past 30 days and consumed at least one alcoholic beverage in the past 30 days, 19% reported drink-driving during the 30-day period. Excessive drinking, binge drinking, nonuse of seat belts, and having been injured in a road traffic crash in the past year were most strongly associated with drink-driving among males.

Conclusions: Drink-driving is prevalent among male drivers in China. Although large differences exist between China and the United States in the proportion of adults who drive, the proportion who consume alcohol, and some of the personal characteristics of those who drink and drive, similarities between the 2 countries are present in patterns of risk behaviors among drink-driving. To reduce injuries and deaths from drink-driving, effective interventions from Western cultures need to be tailored for adoption in China.     

中国GBZ2.1与德国MAK工作场所化学有害因素职业接触限值比较研究

系统比较中国现行职业接触限值标准GBZ2.1-2007与德国职业接触限值MAK在定义、制定原则和具体数值方面的差异,为中国GBZ2.1的修订提供建议和依据。将 GBZ2.1中规定的OELs与德国MAK于2015年公布的化学有害因素 OELs ,按不同类型建立比较分析数据库,并进行比较分析,分析结果表明:中德2国在职业接触限值的制定原则,化学有害因素的来源、数量与标识等方面有显著差异。 因此,我国应加强对化学性有害因素孕期毒性接触限值的研究和应用。中德在选择化学性有害因素制定OELs时各有侧重,我国在重金属方面制定的OELs,如:钴、钼、铍、铊等,是德国MAK以及美国ACGIH中所未有的,而德国则不再为致癌物质制定OELs。中、德均制定有OELs的化学性有害因素在数值上差异较大,中国有部分OELs同时高于德国MAK和美国ACGIH。我国的职业接触限值更新频率较慢,应缩短OELs更新周期,在对现行的GBZ2.1进行制修订时,可将发达国家OELs作为1项参考。德国风险分级评估方法对致癌物质的管理和评估值得进一步探讨及研究。